Re: Family
by een nihc
Summary: My collection of drabbles about familial love in FMA. Various pairings. Summary of each chapter inside. Special thanks to my beta reader, Isee.
1. Twins

**Chapter 1**

**Title: **Twins  
**Pairing: **Alphonse/Alfons, Ed/Alfons  
**Word Count: **304 **Spoilers: **the movie "The Conqueror of Shambala"  
**Summary: **Al ponders about the boy who looked identical to him in the Other World.  
**A/N: **Alfons was like Ed's younger brother in the Other World. How does Al feel about him?

* * *

Alfons Heiderich.

That was the name that belonged to that boy who uncannily resembled him in appearance. One might have easily mistaken him for that boy if not for the fact that the boy had blue eyes and that he was dead.

Alphonse can't begin to describe the feelings inside his guts when he attends Alfons's funeral. It almost feels like he is attending his own funeral. He shudders at the thought. It could be him lying down there. He can't help but think how fortunate he is to be very much alive.

Nonetheless Alphonse is grateful to that boy for helping his brother return to their world. If not for him, he might never have met his brother again. He feels somewhat that both Brother and himself are in Alfons' debt.

Alphonse slowly accepts the fact that this Alfons was just as real as him although they came from different worlds. He had a dream too, just like him. And he died living up to his dream, something which Alphonse isn't sure whether he could do himself. He wonders how Alfons was like in person.

"Nii-san, what was he like?"

Startled by his sudden question, Ed flinches slightly. He looks thoughtful for a moment before he looks up to meet his brother's expectant gaze.

"He was just like you, Al. Just like you."

Then Ed says no more. But Alphonse doesn't have the heart to ask any further, seeing the visible pain in his brother's eyes, quickly hidden behind his golden bangs.

_Just like me…_

Alphonse looked up to the sky and prayed silently in his heart.

_Wherever you are, I hope you're at peace._

_Thank you for being there when I wasn't by nii-san's side._

_Don't worry, from now on, nii-san and I will move forward and continue the journey for you._

**END **


	2. Second Chance

**Chapter 2**

**Title: **Second Chance  
**Pairing: **Izumi/Wrath  
**Word Count: **356 **Spoilers: **episode 29 onwards.  
**Summary: **Izumi always wishes that she has the second chance to atone for her child.  
**A/N: **Izumi is one of my favourite characters in FMA. She is such a strong woman despite having a soft spot for children.

* * *

Izumi had suffered from insomnia ever since she lost the child that she had never really had. When she dreamt, she often dreamt of him, crying out loud as those black hands pulled him in before the gate closed. 

She was a terrible mother. What mother would attempt to revive her dead son only to abandon him again? She thought she was doing the right thing to give the new-born second chance to live but she couldn't have been more wrong. She was a sinner and therefore deserved any retribution for her act, even if it cost her internal organs, causing her to cough up blood at inappropriate moments.

She never thought she would be given second chance to atone for her sin until she saw him on Yokk Island, the very place she had abandoned her child years ago. She felt oddly close to this boy from the first time she laid her eyes on him. He had stopped crying instantly when she had embraced him. Her motherly instinct had immediately kicked in and she found herself wanting to protect him no matter what.

But that was not to be when she finally realized the truth. She was convinced that he was her sin and that she would be the one to set things right. So she brought him back to the island and put her hands around his neck to end it all. Her hands were trembling uncontrollably and she found herself couldn't do it, not again. To atone for her sin, she would've let him kill her if the Elric brothers hadn't arrive in time to stop him.

Blood is always thicker than water. She had helped him escape instead. She had thrown away her second chance to right her wrong just like that and she knew there wouldn't be a third chance to do it. The saddest thing was that she hadn't even had the chance to name him.

But maybe it was never too late. Maybe she could still catch him in next life. This time she swore to herself she would never let go of him again no matter what.

**END **


	3. I love you, Daddy

**Chapter 3**

**Title: **I love you, Daddy  
**Pairing: **Nina Tucker/Shou Tucker  
**Word Count: **240 **Spoilers: **episode 7  
**Summary: **Nina loves her daddy without a doubt.  
**A/N: **I used to despise Shou Tucker for what he did to his daughter but now I feel pity for that man when he became unstable in the latter episodes. He had paid his price for it.

* * *

"Alexander, come here, boy." 

The dog ran to her side at once. She kneeled down and stroked his fur affectionately as she whispered to him, "Tell ya something. Nina not happy today. Ed and Al nii-san not here. Din see daddy either."

The dog licked her face in response, causing her to laugh and roll on the grass. "Ha… ha… stop, Alexander, stop! It's tickly."

The dog stopped licking his little master obediently and barked, "Wuf!"

"Good boy." She smiled and continued stroking its fur, forgetting her worries momentarily.

"Nina…"

"Daddy!" she exclaimed when she heard her daddy calling her from the front of the house. Her happy smile returned to her face in full force as she ran towards him and hugged his legs.

"Nina, Daddy wants to ask you a question. Do you love Daddy?"

She nodded fiercely and replied, "Nina luf Daddy! Daddy luf Nina?"

Shou Tucker seemed taken back by his daughter's question. He bit his lower lips as if resolute to do something before he smiled back wryly and nodded slowly to his daughter. Nina looked up to him with her big, innocent eyes and beamed. Little was she aware of the shadow hanging over his face.

"Come on, Daddy has something special to show Nina and Alexander."

He took her little hand and led her towards the basement.

"Really?"

He said nothing.

That was the last moment he remembered being loved as a father.

**END **


	4. Imitation

**Chapter 4**

**Title: **Imitation  
**Pairing: **Alphonse/Ed  
**Word Count: **328 **Spoilers: **the movie "The Conqueror of Shambala"  
**Summary: **Sometimes Al wants to be like his brother so much that it hurts.  
**A/N: **Al is portrayed a little dark in this drabble but I guess everyone has its dark side. I wrote this because Al resembled Ed too much in the movie that I got uncomfortable with it. Anyway, I'm so relief that Al cut his hair and became his old self once more in the end.

* * *

Al stared at his reflection in the mirror. He marveled at how much he had come to resemble his elder brother, Ed.

He had grown his hair long and tied it back in a ponytail. He had tried out his brother's old clothes – black long sleeves, black pants and the eye-catching red coat – and they had fit him as if they were tailor-made for him. He even had a pair of gloves with transmutation circle sewed on both palms so that when he clasped both his together, he could perform alchemy instantly, just like his brother.

_Just like brother._ Sometimes Al wanted to be like his brother so much that it hurt. His brother had been his role model, his inspiration and the only family he had left. Most of all, his brother was the centre of gravity in his life. Without his brother, he lost his bearing.

Al felt so much for his brother.

Love.

Respect.

Admiration.

And perhaps a little envy?

But Al would never admit it, not even to himself. Envy is an ugly, poisonous emotion. You are not supposed to feel anything like that towards your siblings, your closest family. Not supposed to. But he knew it was there, lurking somewhere in some dark corners in his heart, like the "Devil Nest".

Ed was everything he wanted to be. Ed was always smarter and more brilliant than him. Everyone else except Granny Pinako and Winry had always seen him as Ed's younger brother. Now that his brother wasn't by his side, what could he be? Nothing more than a weak imitation of his brother? Try as he may, he couldn't replace his brother's place. No one could. He was a fool to even try.

But he pretended anyway because an imitation is still better than nothing. At least that was what he convinced himself. _Better than nothing._ He repeated the mantra in his mind.

When you have nothing, anything will be better than nothing.

**END**


	5. With Love

**Chapter 5**

**Title: **With Love  
**Pairing: **Maes/Elysia/Glacier, a bit of Maes/Roy  
**Word Count: **363 **Spoilers: **Chapter 16 because this drabble is based on the manga. If you really want to know why, it was because Ed saw Hughes waving to him as the train passed by a train station. That didn't happen in this drabble. Bah, this is supposed to be the spoiler for my drabble. Never mind now.  
**Summary: **Those who had gone ahead didn't want to. But Maes had returned to bid his final farewell.  
**A/N: **This chapter almost made me cry. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who misses him. He was a great guy.

* * *

He was there, watching them. Familiar faces that he recognized as his family, friends and comrades were gathered. Even the Fuhrer was there. He hadn't imagined it would be this grand. The sight of it – a sea of blue military uniforms – was almost overwhelming.

His eyes fell on two figures in black standing in front of the line. They were the most beloved people in his life - his wife, Glacier, and his daughter, Elysia. He found that he couldn't tear his gaze away from them, especially little Elysia. She had been standing by her mother's side quietly until they started burying him. That was when she began asking those heart-wrenching questions:

"Mama, why are they burying Papa? Why are those men burying Papa?"

When no one answered her, she continued pleading, "Don't… don't… Papa can't go to work if you do that. Papa always said he has lots of work. Don't bury him. Papa!"

Every word of hers stabbed at his heart, again and again. He wanted nothing more than to hug his little girl and tell her, "Don't cry. Papa is here." But he couldn't. His hands were translucent and they went right through her as he tried to do so. Glacier did it in his place.

They couldn't see him or hear him. He could do nothing, absolutely nothing. He never felt this helpless and inadequate before. How was he supposed to tell them? Not to cry for him? How was he supposed to leave seeing them like this?

He was there to bid his final farewell. And his time was soon up. It was time for him to leave for real. Even as his silhouette began fading, he murmured his final good-byes into the wind.

_Please don't cry, Elysia. Papa always loves you._

_Glacier, I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye. Take care of yourself and our daughter for me. _

_And Mustang, my friend. I knew you would scold me for being an idiot. I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to support you from bottom now that I've gone higher than you. (chuckles dryly) But surely you understand, don't you? I know you will._

_Goodbye, everyone._

_With love._

_Hughes._

**END**


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